Flexible driving connection for oil burners



June 22, 1937. R. M. SHERMAN FLEXIBLE DRIVING CONNECTION FOR OIL BURNERS 647249242224222, MM m r/ M fili/Liga K form of the invention, looking back Patented June 22, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,084,709 FLEXIBLE DRIVING CONNECTIN FR OIL BURNERS Rallston M. lSherman, Glastonbury, Conn., .assignor to The Silent Glow Qil Burner Corpora.- tion, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December s, 1935, serial No. 53,595 4 claims. (ci. 10a- 4) 'I'his invention relates to oil burners and more particularly to oil burners employing a rotary air impeller and an oil supply pump driven in approximately axial alignment from an velectric 5 motor, the impeller supplying air for the burner through an extended tubular air conduit and the pump supplying oil through an oil pipe and nozzle usually arranged coaxially within the conduit. In such burners, it is common to mount the air im- 1-0 peller between the motor and the pump, the imso-called Sirroco type, having peripherally ar` ranged fan blades and an air intake at one side vthrough which the air enters and from which it passes outwardly to the blades and is discharged into the air conduit.

In the operation oi such burners, the employ-,-

ment of a. solid driving shaft passing through the fan tends to interfere with the even distribution of air from the air intake to the periphery of the `v fan, so that the capacity of the fan is not only 25 appreciably reduced, but there results an uneven distribution of the air to diilerent portions of the periphery of the fan casing, tending to render non-uniform the air velocity in diierent circumferential parts of the air conduit.

One object of the present invention is to correct in large \part this condition by the employment of a driving connection between the motor and the pump passing through the fan-casing but .which will offer little interference to the distribution of` the air within the fan, thereby increasingthe eiiiciency of the fan and improving the operation of the burner, such driving connection being also of such a character that it cushions the vshock on the motor in starting the 4o pump, diminishes/the noise incident to starting the burner, and renders inconsequential slight differences in alignment between the motor and the pump. v

These and other objects of the invention will 45 be betterunderstood by reference to the following description` when taken in connection with.A

the accompanying illustration showing one speciii/c//embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out inthe appended "q claims.

In the drawing: I

Fig. 1 isa front view of a burner'embodying one -from the mouth of the air conduit;

55 Fig. 2 is a sideelcvation of the burner, partly broken away' to show the air impeller but with the pump removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional elevation of the fan and impeller showing the driving connection; and

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the method of connecting the driving spring.

. Referring to the embodiment of the invention submitted for illustrative purposes, the motor comprises an electric driving motorv il mounted at one side of the support I3 and an oilvpump I5 mounted at the opposite side of the support and in substantial axial alignment with the motor. Between the motor and the p ump is a rotary air impeller or fan I1 of the so-cailed Sirroco type comprising la. cylindrical, cage-like member rotatable4 in eccentric relation within the generally cylindrical housing I 9, the air discharging portion of the-casing merging into a prolonged,

straight, cylindrical, tubular air conduit member 2l, through which extends the oil supply pipe 23 having the oil discharge nozzle 25 at the end thereof.

'I'he impeller comprises a disc-like Fside plate 21 adjacent the motor and an opposed annular plate 29 with interconnecting multiple vanes o-r blades, the disc having an inturned hub 3i which is secured directly to the motor shaft v:i3 by the set screw 35. 'Ihe opposite annular side plate 29 provides an air admission opening 31 facing the pump, the amount of air admitted therethrough being controlled by a disc-like shutter 39 (Fig. 1) mounted on the pump structure, which disc may be adjusted to a iixed position after the burner has been installed. y

The drive shaft 4i for the pump (Fig. 3) is spaced from the motor driving shaft 33 and from the fan hub 3| but has applied thereto a collar 43 of substantially the same diameter as that of the hub and fixedly secured to the pump shaft by the set screw 45. Closely fitting at one en d over the hub 3i and at the opposite end over the spaced collar 43, and spanning the lspace between the two within the impeller cage, there is provided a driving connection in the form of a helical spring 41. The outermost coils,r at each end of the spring are preferably cl sely compacted to provide a good bearing seat on the hub at one end and on the collarat the'opposite end, the intervening coils, however, being more or less open to permit the free passage of air trans- -'versely from one side of the impeller to the other y While I have g the purposes of illustration one specific embodias indicated in Fig. 4. Such'bent ends of the spring are free of connection to the set screws 35 and 45 but are in line therewith so that when the motor is started and the motor shaft is turned clockwise the screw 35 engages the be'nd of the spring, imparting a turning effort thereto which v is transmitted through the resilient spring to thepump shaft as soon as the bend at the opposite end of the spring engages the body of the set screw 45.

herein shown and described for ment of the invention, it is to be understood that extensive changes in the details and in the form or arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an oil burner, the combination rotary air impeller comprising an impeller housing, a cylindrical cage within said housing having peripheral fan blades and a lateral air intake,

' of a motor axially aligned with said impeller at one side thereof and ,having a driving shaft con-v nected to drive the same, an oil pump at the opposite side of said impeller having a drive shaft, an inwardlyl projecting driving member on the side of the cage opposite said pump in substantial alignment with the pump drive shaft but spaced therefrom, and a helical spring driving connection between the driving member on the impeller and the pump shaft and spanning a with a' the pump shaft, said spring spanning a space between said shafts within the cage of said impeller, l

3. In an oil burner, the combinationwith a generally cylindrical housing having an air inlet. of a rotary bladed impellerin said housing, a motor outside of and at one side ofthe housing and having a driven member entering said housing and connected to 4drive the impeller, an oil pump at the opposite sideand outside of said housing, a member for driving the pump axially aligned with but distinctly spaced from the motor driven member, and a helical spring driving connection between said members having its en ds embracing one the motor driven member and the other the pump driving member, said spring` driving connection spanning the intervening space between said members and lying across the path of air entering said housing and passing to the impeller blades. 4. In an oil burner, the combination with a generally cylindrical housing having an air inlet, of a rotary bladed impeller in said housing, a. motor outside of and at one side of the housing and having a driven member entering said housing and connectedto drive the impeller, an oil pump at the opposite side and utside of said housing, a member for driving the pump axially f aligned with but distinctly spaced from the motor driven member, and a helical spring driving connection between said members having its ends embracing one the motor driven member and the other the pump driving member, said spring driving connection spanning the intervening space between said members and lying across the path of air entering said housing and passing to the impeller blades, the two aligned but spaced members having radial abutments engageable by 'the respective spring ends, the latter andsaid abutments having capacity for relative angular movement. y

RALLSTON M. SHERMAN. 

